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We visited the Hotel on the west coast of Costa Rica and it is the best ever. We found all the guides to be very accommodating and always available whenever we needed anything.The dining area is right at the beautiful poolside and we can view the Ocean from there. Our suite was overlooking the Pacific Ocean with birds and wide life for us to view.We will go back again in a heartbeat.

Room Tip: All the suites are full facility with a large tub right outside on the deck. The very spacious bathr...

Yes, the reviews are true about Arenas Del Mar. My family (wife and two teenage sons) just enjoyed 6 days at Arenas Del Mar. I struggle to write this review as I’m sure it will come across as gushing (which might seem a bit disingenuous) but I can’t help it. In all my years of traveling and staying at high end resorts, I struggle to find one that is as fine as Arenas Del Mar.

The property: First of all the property itself is stunning. Not only is it built into the rainforest, it is also situated on a cliff above two beautiful beaches. The first beach is the resort’s private beach which is intimate and tropical. The second beach is the public (Espadilla Beach) beach which is long and stunning. At one of the end of this beach is Arenas Del Mar and at the other end is the national park, Manuel Antonio. My wife and I walked this gorgeous beach every morning and were awestruck by its beauty. The hotel itself is quite new and is extremely well-architected and well-built. Attention to detail is the name of the game at Arenas Del Mar, from the spectacular views to well-manicured grounds to beautifully appointed rooms and suites.

The staff: The staff at this hotel makes you feel like part of the family. They are warm, accommodating, service-oriented, knowledgeable, and genuinely friendly. I get the sense they genuinely like working there. I also get the sense that they operate well as a team, which reflects in how they treat their guests. I’d be remiss to point out one or two particular staff remembers, as they were all excellent.

Food: We loved the food and ate most of our meals at the property. It was modern, but authentic, Costa Rican cuisine. Very tasty, reasonably priced, and with excellent variety. I was pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the food/drinks were (example: Cocktails are $5 to $7 apiece. In Maui or the Caribbean, the same cocktail would be 3 times as much).

Other: The little touches added up to a big deal: (1) Organized salsa dancing (2) a staff-organized soccer game at a local field (3) a personal tour of the property from one of the staff members (4) evening happy hour (5) etc.

What would I change about Arenas? Not much at all. Anything I would change would simply be personal preference. First of all, I’d love to have them do the breakfast as a buffet rather than made-to-order. Secondly, I’d like to see them play different music in the bar every night rather than Costa Rican pop music (my personal preference would be more of a soothing island-style jazz type of sound).

In summary, we looked at several other top resorts while we were in the Manuel Antonio area and none of them can compare to Arenas Del Mar. It might cost slightly more but it’s absolutely worth it. We will be back and we will be recommending this resort to all our friends.

Room Tip: We stayed in building 7, in a suite that overlooked the Espadilla Beach. Room 702A. 7 represents t...

Arenas del Mar is beautifully integrated into the lush rainforest and wildlife of Manuel Antonio. You truly feel you're removed from society and transplanted deep into the Costa Rican rainforest! The beach is feet away and the canopy has countless animals. We saw something new every day we were there! (Iguanas, sloths, crocodiles, lizards and monkeys!)

The staff is the highlight of Arenas del Mar. Every single staffer was pleasant, friendly, and genuine -- they truly seemed happy to be there and excited to help you! We looked forward to our conversations with them, and learned a great deal about the local culture and customs in speaking with them.

The only reason for 4 stars is I felt the rooms were a bit lacking for a "5-star" resort; nonetheless, they were clean and cool (A/C is a MUST in this region!) The "happy hour" was a nice addition -- good place to converse with other couples and travelers.

My husband & I love Costa Rica & have returned to visit many times over the past 20 years. We've stayed in many wonderful different places & hotels throughout this lovely country. We even purchased property in Playa Hermosa to spend our retirement years. Yet we've never been as “wowed” as we were at Arenas del Mar! From the moment we arrived, we could sense the difference. We were treated royally, with great care & concern by each & every staff member, (who knew us by name!) all the way up to the GM, who upgraded our room to the most fantastic suite we have ever stayed in! The ocean views were breathtaking & we were delighted by the lush rainforest vegetation and abundance of wildlife! The monkeys gave us a show, many times right from our balcony, and the parrots, exotic birds, animals and sloth sightings were almost a daily experience. It was absolutely fantastic sitting in the Jacuzzi on the outside terrace, overlooking the entire cove. We loved being driven around the steep slopes in the electric golf carts. The drivers so warm and friendly; expert wildlife spotters too! We looked forward to enjoying each of their genuine & sunny personalities. Alex, ,Brandon, Ariel, Robvin, Paul, Juan Deigo, to known a few. I wish I could remember all their names! The free breakfasts were delicious & ample, as were the rest of the meals…We loved eating lunch right on the beach, with our feet in the sand! On my last day, I had a fantastic deep tissue massage in the spa by the lovely Priscilla! As a massage therapist myself, I really appreciated all the efforts and skill in working out those knots. The hotel really should bonus her for these intense treatments! The waters of Manuel Antonio are known for their rip currents, but the hotel provided a lifeguard/surfing instructor, Alex, who saw to it that we could frolic in the ocean with confidence! We are telling all of our friends and patients about this magnificent resort & we can’t wait to return!

We really loved this resort; especially the lower suites next to the beach. The staff were so friendly and helpful. The private beach was great; plus you can walk down a small trail to the public beach where they have beach chairs, towels etc available. We preferred these two beaches to the ones in the Park. We also saw more wildlife on the resort grounds than in the Park.

Having lunch served with tables right on the private beach was a great experience.

Unfortunately there seemed to be a bug going around while I was there. I had stomach upset and severe stomach pain bad enough to require a doctor to come; who said that he'd been there just the night before for a couple with similar symptoms. He thought it was viral and not food poisoning, so who knows. Cannot say whether it had anything to do with the resort as stomach issues in Central America aren't exactly rare!

We both had really good massages at the Spa.

Would definitely stay there again if I was in the area.

Room Tip: I recommend a room on the lower level next to the private beach.

We had our small wedding here with 13 of our friends and family. Most guests stayed here and I know I can speak for all in saying we thoroughly enjoyed our stay! After four days, it was obvious this was one of the best hotels in the area. It's very secluded so there's a ton of wildlife. So much so, we didn't feel too bad about not having enough time to visit the national park. Both beaches were wonderful, but we spent most time at Playitas since it was a little more private. The buffet breakfasts were always tasty and changed a little every day. The lunch and dinner meals were good, but we enjoyed going into town to find other restaurants. We didn't rent a car, and didn't need to, as the reception would call a cab or we could take the hotel shuttle when needed. The hill up to the main road is definitely not something you would want to walk up. The staff here were always eager to please, I think they had just as much fun at our wedding reception as our guests! The cart drivers are super fun to chat with and appeared pretty much whenever they were needed. The only thing I can fault was that after a full day of travel, we really just wanted to get to our rooms, not listen to a briefing on their sustainability efforts. They were a dream to work with for the wedding/reception, with the help of our outside planner. The hotel is a little on the pricier side, but you definitely get what you pay for. We can't wait to come back! Thanks for a vacation and wedding we'll never forget!

This resort is absolutely amazing! My wife and I just spent a week in Costa Rica and ended our vacation at this resort for four days in the Manuel Antonio area. The rooms\suites are extremely nice, the staff are among the friendliest people I have ever met and the beaches, grounds and animals around the resort are amazing!

Located within walking distance of Manuel Antonio National Park, Arenas Del Mar is an extraordinary beachfront and rainforest resort catering to travelers looking for more than the typical luxury hotel experience. Stunning, luxurious, and sustainable, our hotel has 38 rooms with exclusive beach and nature views, nestled in eleven acres of rainforest with private trails and two tree-shaded white sand beaches. Unique among the hotels in Manuel Antonio, our carbon-neutral property offers sustainable, luxurious lodging. As well, we are proud to be the first Costa Rican luxury hotel to have been awarded the Five Sustainability Leaf Award and a Five Star Award. With this stunning location and a myriad of personalized services, on-property activities and land and water-based tours catered for honeymooning couples and families alike, Arenas Del Mar is the perfect base for exploring on your Manuel Antonio vacation....more less

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